Perhaps it is unfair to review one of my favorite 5200
games, but so be it. Astrochase really
doesn't win for spectacular graphics or sound, but it's
not bad on either front. Where it really wins is good
game play and decent control, even with the original 5200
controllers.
The graphics aren't bad. There's nice, smooth scrolling
and the sprites move well, although the “bombs”
move in large, character-based jumps. The sound adequately
conveys what's going on in the game.
The gameplay is nice, though. Due to the way the ship
and enemies are designed, the gameplay is fast and challenging,
and the difficulty builds well as you progress through
the levels. The increasing difficulty keeps the game from
becoming tedious and gives you a good half hour of pure
entertainment without taxing too many brain cells (which
is what I tend to look for in a game).
Another interesting features is one of the first “cut
scenes” in a video game, perhaps outside of Ms.
Pac-man. I thought that was the coolest thing
when I first played this game back in the day, and it's
still pretty cool now. You get a little “movie”
after every 8 levels. The only downside is that the movies
are a bit slow and long, and you can't skip them. Since
you have to press a button before starting new levels,
they're a good chance to take a bathroom break.
While this is not one of the most common cartridges available
for the 5200, I like the game play, and can definitely
recommend it for people looking for an arcade-style game
for the 5200.
2008 ben langberg, all rights reserved.